Senior Maintenance Mechanic /
PLC Technician Location:
Rockaway Beach, NY Industry:
Food Manufacturing - Chocolate Production Day Shift 2pm-10pm Our client, The Madelaine Chocolate Company, is seeking a hands-on Senior Maintenance Mechanic to maintain, troubleshoot, repair, and improve production equipment in a high-volume chocolate manufacturing facility. The ideal candidate will have strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills, working knowledge of PLC-controlled equipment, and experience in food manufacturing. This role supports a wide variety of equipment including chocolate molding lines, foil wrapping machines, packaging equipment, conveyors, and both modern and legacy European manufacturing machinery. The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced production environment where minimizing downtime and improving equipment reliability are critical. Responsibilities
- Troubleshoot, repair, and maintain production equipment including: o Chocolate molding machines o Foil wrapping and foil handling equipment o Packaging and cartoning machines o Conveyors and material handling systems o Pumps, gearboxes, motors, pneumatic and hydraulic systems
- Diagnose electrical and control system issues on PLC-controlled machinery.
- Perform preventative and predictive maintenance to maximize equipment uptime.
- Troubleshoot sensors, photo eyes, VFDs, relays, motor starters, and control circuits.
- Read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and mechanical drawings.
- Assist with PLC troubleshooting (Allen-Bradley, Siemens or similar) to identify faults and support production.
- Support machine changeovers and equipment setup.
- Work on both newer automated equipment and older European production machinery.
- Coordinate with production and engineering teams to minimize downtime.
- Maintain accurate maintenance records and spare parts inventory.
- Ensure all work is performed safely while complying with food safety, GMP, OSHA, and company standards. Qualifications
- Industrial maintenance experience in a food, beverage, confectionery, pharmaceutical, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing environment.
- Strong mechanical aptitude with experience repairing complex production equipment.
- Working knowledge of PLC troubleshooting (ability to diagnose faults).
- Experience with electrical systems up to 480V.
- Ability to troubleshoot: o Motors o VFDs o Sensors o Solenoids o Pneumatics o Hydraulics o Servo-driven equipment (preferred)
- Experience maintaining packaging equipment, wrappers, conveyors, or automated production machinery.
- Comfortable working on legacy European manufacturing equipment where replacement parts may require custom fabrication or creative troubleshooting.
- Food manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
- PLC programming experience is a plus. Preferred Experience
- Chocolate, candy, bakery, snack food, or other food manufacturing.
- High-speed equipment.
- Molding, wrapping, and cartoning equipment.
- European OEM equipment.
- GMP, HACCP, and food safety standards.